This week: Swedish pop-rockers Peter Bjorn and John, whose sixth album, Gimme Some, drops March 29.
FAVORITE SONG:
“‘Helicopter’ by Deerhunter — it has a scary, extremely dark lyric with a beautiful melody and production covering it up. Contradiction is what all great art should deal with. As Ingmar Bergman said: to make angst joyful.” [Peter]
FAVORITE ALBUM:
“The Polynesians’ Aloha. Every time I put this on — and that could be on a snowy Sunday morning or during a wet DJ-gig — everybody starts to act differently. This album is almost as good as a massage. Including a happy ending.” [John]
“John Lennon’s Plastic Ono. Three instruments, one voice, total honesty and lack of poses and manners. From a whisper to a scream. When minimalism doesn’t mean cold and pretentious it’s quite grand.”[Peter]
FAVORITE NEW ARTIST:
“They’ve just released their fourth album so new ain’t exactly right. But Papercuts goes from clarity to clarity. Fading Parade is human, frail and mesmerizing.”[Peter]
FAVORITE BODY PART:
“My thighs. I think they are quite spectacular and I can sit and stare at them for hours.”[John]
FAVORITE MOVIE:
“American Ninja 2. In one scene an American ninja throws a punch and knocks down twelve Asian ninjas. In another scene, an American ninja throws a wooden stick from one cliff to another, which hits an Asian ninja in the head and kills him.”[John]
FAVORITE PET:
“None. I would find it weird to keep animals in my apartment. But maybe it changes if I move into a cave.” [Bjorn]
FAVORITE PICK-UP LINE:
“Usually, ‘What time is it?’ Can’t say that it works.”[John]
FAVORITE LIE:
“Food was great but I had just eaten.” [Bjorn]
FAVORITE FOOD:
“When you have a perfect fresh mozzarella and tomato saladwith some basil and olive oil on top by the Italian coastline with yourwife beside you and maybe some local wine. [Peter]
FAVORITE BOOK:
“Definitely one that I found in a antique bookshop called How To Eat Your Own Head. Very interesting, and it makes you think.”[John]
FAVORITE PIECE OF MUSICAL GEAR:
“I have this guitar from 1966, National Supro or something, I don’t know the exact model. I got it pretty cheap in Stockholm. It looks a bit like a Fender Jazzmaster, but has a much thicker, dustier, totally unique tone. It’s kind of hard to play but that resistance makes it sound even better. Conan O’Brien totally fell in love with it.” [Peter]
FAVORITE WAY TO PASS TIME ON THE ROAD:
“Sometimes I walk around and take pictures of stuff you should not take pictures of. Once in Milan, Italy, I wanted to take a photo of some pieces of tofu in a Japanese food store but the woman behind the counter went crazy and said that she would kick the shit out of me if I took a picture of their tofu.”[John]
FAVORITE JOKE:
“Something about a stupid Norwegian guy holding a turd.” [Bjorn]
WATCH: Peter, Bjorn and John, “Second Chance”
